Mary J. Blige, Mario & Ne-Yo Host R&B Lovefest at Madison Square Garden: Show Review
Written by djfrosty on April 11, 2025
On Thursday night (April 10), Mary J. Blige, Mario and Ne-Yo reigned over New York City’s Madison Square Garden with three decades’ worth of R&B classics, heartbreak anthems and street hits.
Launched in support of her 2024 Gratitude album, Mary J. Blige’s For My Fans tour was a career-spanning dedication to her ride-or-die fanbase — an especially pertinent theme, given Thursday night marked Mary’s very first headlining show in her hometown’s most iconic venue. Before the nine-time Grammy winner and two-time Oscar nominee graced the stage, DJ Funk Flex primed the packed crowd — many of whom sported their sexiest boots and finest furs and fittest in honor of Mary’s iconic Misa Hylton-helmed style — with a set of New York ’90s and ’00s classics, including the obligatory phone-flashlight tributes to Biggie and DMX. Flex appeared throughout the night to soundtrack the transition between the artists’ sets, and kill time for production delays.
Mario, the night’s first opener, charmed The Garden with a brief set that included high-energy renditions of “Here I Go Again,” “Just A Friend 2002” and his Billboard Hot 100-topper “Let Me Love You.” Deftly working the stage and wooing the crowd, Mario helped the crowd begin their celebratory walk down memory lane — even though he’s fresh off the release of a new album, 2024’s Glad You Came, which houses “Keep Going (Aaaaahhhhh),” his first Adult R&B Airplay top 10 hit in 20 years. Later this month (April 24), Mario will head to the U.K. and Europe for his Glad You Came Tour, with special guest Eric Bellinger. The duo will hit intimate venues in key cities like London, Paris and Dublin, before concluding in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 17.
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After a brief Funk Flex interlude, three-time Grammy winner Ne-Yo hit the stage for a swanky set that felt like a winning audition for a more full-bodied follow-up to his 2024 Las Vegas mini-residency. Opening with 2006’s “Stay,” Ne-Yo ripped through a well-oiled set that featured beloved cuts like “Closer,” “Sexy Love,” “Because of You,” “Miss Independent” and the 2006 Hot 100-topper “So Sick.” Flanked by hard-working backup dancers and assisted by a rotating collection of different hats, Ne-Yo put on a show that sat right in the lineage of sparkly-suited song-and-dance men.
Once Ne-Yo left the stage, Flex returned for a few more minutes of partying before Mary kicked off the second half of Thursday night’s four-hour R&B extravaganza. Sporting an oversized pink fur and platinum blonde inches, Mary opened her set with a poignant rendition of “Take Me As I Am” on the B-stage, eventually using 1997’s “A Dream” to get in a lift that transported her over the crowd and onto the mainstage, in time for “Love No Limit” and “Mary Jane (All Night Long).”
For the first part of her set, Mary prioritized her “day one” fans, clearly happy to be at home in New York with her people. At one point she did a bit of 1999’s “Your Child” a cappella, quizzing the crowd (who passed with flying colors) on the song’s lyrics. Mary spent most of her time on the main stage, which featured a massive structure of kintsugi hands clutching a crown, in front of video backdrops that frequently showcased Mary’s biggest career moments — from her dual 2018 Oscar nominations to her 2022 Super Bowl halftime show appearance.
The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul sauntered across the stage freestyling and hitting choreography with her backup dancers in a seemingly endless collection of gorgeous leotard-centric costumes — most of which came complete with a matching fitted and pair of boots. With 2005’s monster hit “Be Without You” placed in the center of the setlist, Mary smartly spread her biggest hits throughout the setlist, ensuring the show’s energy wasn’t centralized in one section. 2021’s Grammy-nominated “Good Morning Gorgeous” proved one of her set’s early highlights, accented by a passionate, gospel-evoking testimonial that previewed similar moments during “No More Drama” later in the night. Mary’s repeated message of gratitude for her relationship with her fans and their special bond of constant healing and maturation proved the night’s most emotional moments. With the current state of ticket pricing, it’s not often an artist’s crowd so accurately reflects the specific audience they serve and speak to, so it was especially beautiful to feel the love and mutual gratitude in The Garden on Thursday night.
Immediately after “Gorgeous,” Mary sang a pair of songs from her Gratitude album — “Here I Am” and “Don’t F–k Up” — the night’s lone dull moment. Earlier in her set, she performed the album’s lead single, “Breathing,” bringing out Fabolous to perform his guest verse. Soon after, Jadakiss came out for his verse on “Need You More,” which also appears on Gratitude. Unfortunately, both guest appearances were briefly marred by sound issues. Mary also reached out to a younger generation of BX hip-hop titans, tapping A Boogie Wit da Hoodie for a quick “Look Back at It” performance.
To end the night on a high note, Mary tore through some of her most enduring uptempo hits, including “The One,” “Just Fine,” “I Can Love You” — albeit with no Lil’ Kim — “MJB Da MVP” and, of course, her six-week Hot 100-topper, “Family Affair.”
To celebrate her very first MSG show as the lone headliner, Mary teamed up with Veeps to exclusively live-stream the April 10 show around the world. Each ticket included access to the live stream and an unlimited seven-day rewatch period. Veeps All Access members will be able to access the show for free as part of their subscription.
The For My Fans Tour will spend one more night in New York — at Long Island’s UBS Arena (April 11) — before concluding with its original lineup on April 19 in Memphis, Tenn. From April 21 to April 27, Mary will play four solo shows to officially bring the tour to a close.